"Quite frankly, all the players are getting paid too much and all the contracts are too long," general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "But if you want to compete in this market and you want to win, there are some things you have to do."

Its truly sad how under appreciated zach is. Every single day, 82 games a year zach is the best player on this team. This is why devils fans are laughed at. We have a top 5 player in the league and we're saying he shouldnt even be the mvp of our team. Ill take zach over kovi 24/7 365 until the end of the world. Basically the same EXACT comparison would be ranger fans trying to say gaborik is a better player than callahan. That would be ridiculous. But people do it. Why? Because they dont understand that theres more than being flashy and scoring goals. Hey what happened last year without zach? Oh thats right we got our teeth kicked in. Unbelievable people dont worship this guy yet. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Zach Parise is not close to a top 5 player in the league. This isn't about not appreciating. It is about being realistic.

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"The Stanley Cup has fallen from the Stars. The new millennium has its first Stanley Cup Champion, and it's the New Jersey Devils." Mike Miller calling the Devils winning the Stanley Cup.

"It goes to the captain and then there are handoffs during a skate around the ice" Mike Emrick as Scott Stevens is being presented the Stanley Cup.

"Quite frankly, all the players are getting paid too much and all the contracts are too long," general manager Lou Lamoriello said. "But if you want to compete in this market and you want to win, there are some things you have to do."

Its truly sad how under appreciated zach is. Every single day, 82 games a year zach is the best player on this team. This is why devils fans are laughed at. We have a top 5 player in the league and we're saying he shouldnt even be the mvp of our team. Ill take zach over kovi 24/7 365 until the end of the world. Basically the same EXACT comparison would be ranger fans trying to say gaborik is a better player than callahan. That would be ridiculous. But people do it. Why? Because they dont understand that theres more than being flashy and scoring goals. Hey what happened last year without zach? Oh thats right we got our teeth kicked in. Unbelievable people dont worship this guy yet. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Yes, that's why our fan base is laughed at. You are so correct.

What are you even talking about? Who is "laughing at us" anyway? I think you may have a complex. You can't sit here and throw people's opinions out the window just because you think that Zach Parise is number 4 player in the league. I don't know how you come to your brilliant deductions anyway. Parise & Callahan are better than someone like Stamkos? Giroux? The Sedins? What is your basis for him being #4 in the league? Just playing Devil's advocate here because you're being pretty biased and just going off on a tangent it seems.

I love Zach Parise but doesn't mean I'm going to throw on the blinders and just be ignorant to everything else around me. How you could say that Callahan is more important to the Rangers is appalling to me as well. You really think the Rangers would be anywhere without Gaborik? He has over twenty more points than Callahan.

Parise has been huge, and is a huge reason we're back in the playoffs. But you can't sit there and throw Kovalchuk's great season, and two-way play turnaround out the window. Face it, the team needs BOTH OF THEM to be where they are today.

Malkin and crosby are at the top of the heap any way you slice it, after that datsyuk, and then mr zach parise, and ill put callahan or kesler behind zach. Im not talking top goal scorers, im talking top hockey players in this league.

Callahan...really? He is extremely overrated. He has 54 pts in 74 games this year with a minus 5 rating on the second best defensive team in the league. Yes the heart and determination is there but he is not a great player. He does not have great vision, and makes many dumb plays every game. I remember Foster stealing the puck away when Callahan was on the pk trying to dance through everyone, Elias picked it up gave it to Kovy and we tied the game. He always skates the puck up the ice and does a 180 at the blueline looking for someone with his back to the play, or just goes behind the net and randomly throws it up front into the slot and usually ends up exiting the zone, he is very predictable. Is he a good player? Definitely, he plays with heart, but you cannot put him in the same sentence with Malkin, Crosby, Parise, and Datsyuk. He's been getting Clarkson type goals this year which will not last throughout his career. Both Callahan an Clarkson's goal totals will drop next season in my opinion.

Parise has been huge, and is a huge reason we're back in the playoffs. But you can't sit there and throw Kovalchuk's great season, and two-way play turnaround out the window. Face it, the team needs BOTH OF THEM to be where they are today.

Every single day, 82 games a year zach is the best player on this team.

Not true.

This is why devils fans are laughed at. We have a top 5 player in the league and we're saying he shouldn't even be the mvp of our team.

The only reason we are ever laughed at is because of lack of attendance. If you are hearing any other laughter, it's coming from you. Also he is great but not a top 5 player and no one is saying he isn't great just that there are other deserving candidates.

Ill take zach over kovi 24/7 365 until the end of the world. Basically the same EXACT comparison would be ranger fans trying to say gaborik is a better player than callahan. That would be ridiculous. But people do it. Why? Because they dont understand that theres more than being flashy and scoring goals. Hey what happened last year without zach? Oh thats right we got our teeth kicked in.

It just amazes me how everyone else in this thread knows the team better then the PLAYERS ON THE ICE who voted for the damn thing.....

Anyone that's watched both players this year and thinks Zach has had a better year than Kovy isn't paying attention. I'm sure the players had their reasons for voting Zach team MVP - like leadership off the ice and in the room (which can factor into a 'most valuable' designation) and overall consistency, but if you were just basing it on level of play, Kovy's remodeled his game without sacrificing his offensive skill.

Ill take zach over kovi 24/7 365 until the end of the world. Basically the same EXACT comparison would be ranger fans trying to say gaborik is a better player than callahan. That would be ridiculous. But people do it. Why? Because they dont understand that theres more than being flashy and scoring goals. Hey what happened last year without zach? Oh thats right we got our teeth kicked in.

That's a silly comparison. You overrate an aspect of the game many players can do with hard work and some modicum of intelligence (look at how much Kovy's improved at the little things in just one and a half years) and underrate one that only a few players in the league have the talent to do.

Funny how you do with Kovy what you accuse everyone else of doing with Zach. I don't understand why more people can't respect them both.

Edited by NJDevs4978, 05 April 2012 - 06:56 AM.

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"The Devils have high standards, that's the difference. We have a standard to live up to every year, and a couple of teams in our area don't have the standards we do." - Pat Burns

The New Jersey Devils win Stanley Cups everywhere:-NHL record for most road wins in the playoffs - 10-1 in '95 and 10-2 in '00-NHL record for most home wins in the playoffs - 12-1 in '03

He's been skating, but from what someone mentioned last week, he's on a certain blood thinner where he's not allowed to play for 3 months. Don't expect him back until at least the 2nd round of the playoffs, if/when we make it that far.

Its truly sad how under appreciated zach is. Every single day, 82 games a year zach is the best player on this team. This is why devils fans are laughed at. We have a top 5 player in the league and we're saying he shouldnt even be the mvp of our team. Ill take zach over kovi 24/7 365 until the end of the world. Basically the same EXACT comparison would be ranger fans trying to say gaborik is a better player than callahan. That would be ridiculous. But people do it. Why? Because they dont understand that theres more than being flashy and scoring goals. Hey what happened last year without zach? Oh thats right we got our teeth kicked in. Unbelievable people dont worship this guy yet. Makes me sick to my stomach.

Wow. Just wow. Since the injury, Zach is a borderline top 10 player. That's not an insult at all, but he hasn't been as good. Last year I would have said Zach's defense put him past Kovy, but Kovy's killing penalties and is no longer a liability in his own end, and he's always been a better pure scorer than Zach. Throw in the fact that he switched to RW so Zach could stay on the left, and he's had a special year. He's top 5. I get that Zach's value comes from intangibles as well, but there's no way you can bash people here for thinking Kovy has been more valuable. IMO, based strictly on their performance on the ice, Zach is number 3 behind Elias and Kovy this year. I have no problem with Zach getting it. Like Crasher said, we're not on the ice with these guys every day, but you just sound like a troll.

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Sumus Legio
You don't turn this around in a couple shifts. Its going to take a little time, but I know the guys will come back. Because I can see it. -- Jacques Lemaire

Crasher and everyone arguing with the vote -- I wouldn't say "How f***in' hysterical people here think they know better than the team." Sometimes fans DO know better than the team. It's not about being "right" though, it's about understanding the team's perspective compared to ours. The team is operating under different guidelines than a fan and have different goals in mind when presenting the awards.

I think the teams perspective is right on in this case! I'd bet Kovalchuk stacked the deck for Zach to win!!! Because Zach can be lost, it's really important to know that you, as a teammate, have done everything in your power to let him know how important he is. Let's face it, these guys don't need two, so I'd bet Zach has a sock drawer of everyone's left nut - hell a lot of YOU all would give your left one to keep him on the team. What's a stupid award one season? Zach is bigger than that to this team.

As for Sal - he was nearly out for GOOD. People missed him and were glad he returned. Now maybe we see that for all his unsung praises he's got his fair share of byes on criticism as well. It balances out - but maybe he is really hard on himself and only sees the stuff we bitch about. The team needed him on defense and he busted his ass and came back. He really didn't have to do that.

Henrique got the tie because their was no surprise hero category... hmm... even if there was Clarkson would have taken that one I think.... nah actually no one would want to go on record saying in seriousness "Who knew you were actually good?"

and how is Mouse players player? I'd love to know more about that one I wrote mouse!! Moose....

There is always more than one truth to every subjective situation. These are things the team doesn't need to argue about or be right about -- they are making it known who is providing value and how, as best they can.

and how is Mouse players player? I'd love to know more about that one I wrote mouse!! Moose....

There was a character named Mouse in some teen/brocomedy... and I can't remember what it's called now... but I remember him not like being called that. And now I'm stuck searching the internet for it, with that little bit of info. Thanks PK! Giving purpose to my morning (rather than working <shivers >)